This application seeks support for a series of five, one-day topically-oriented research symposia designed to stimulate and guide research on emerging topics in communication sciences and disorders (CSD). The American Speech-Language- Hearing Association (ASHA) has successfully coordinated 16 symposia since 1991. The conferences represented full or collaborative funding efforts between ASHA, NIDCD, and on one occasion, NICHD. These conferences, to be held within the annual convention of the American Speech- Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), will present research that has important clinical implications for the study of communication processes and disorders. The goals of the conferences are to 1) provide a venue for discussion among scientists and clinicians about recent research developments;and 2) foster continuity of interactions among scientists and clinicians in CSD and related disciplines. In addition, the conferences will serve to contribute to the development of new investigators in CSD. To that end, funds are requested to support this series of research symposia, and 20 travel award recipients (10 mentor-mentee pairs), for an additional 5-year period (2007-2011). A description of the content and format of the conference series (including topics and potential speakers), processes for advertising and disseminating conference materials, and mechanisms for evaluating the short- and long-term success of the conferences, will be delineated in this application. In addition, a full description of the travel award program for students and faculty will be provided. This application seeks support for a series of five annual 1-day research symposia designed to stimulate and guide research on topics relevant to communication sciences and disorders (CSD). The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has sponsored a research symposium annually since 1991. With the exception of the symposia held in 1991 and 1993, the meetings received substantial financial support from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). ASHA is seeking financial support to continue offering this series of research symposia for another 5-year period (2007-2011). The target audiences for the research symposia are scientists, clinicians, and students who seek information about state-of-the art research findings and applications of these findings within the discipline. The primary goals of the symposia are to provide professionals with cutting-edge information about recent developments in neuroscience and genetics, and to facilitate the translation of research findings to clinical practice and further fundamental research activity in CSD fields. The symposia also provide avenues for identifying promising new investigators in CSD and facilitate the establishment of viable mentoring relationships, which will contribute to the development of future researchers in CSD. The series of symposia described in this application will be offered during ASHA's Annual Convention. This option lends itself well to (a) an increased attendance, (b) elimination of an additional registration fee and hotel costs, (c) a reduction in the number of days away from work and home, and (d) the enhancement of opportunities for mentoring and networking with active scientists. The current series of symposia will be structured in such a way that conflict with other competing scientific sessions of a similar subject matter will be minimized, and opportunities for in-depth discussion with symposium speakers and attendees will not be compromised. ASHA members will likely represent a substantial portion of symposium attendees;however, the research symposia are also intended to appeal to (and will be designed to attract) a broad interdisciplinary scientific and clinical audience, including, for example, biomedical specialists, psychologists, and neuroscientists.